The Sacrifice
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This painting took some 14 months to complete. I finished it in 1994. Although I had a certain idea in mind about the subject matter of this picture when I began it, I rather enjoy the fact that viewers often invent their own ideas about the meaning of such works. For the record, I wanted to paint an allegorical picture of the old industrial working class of the Western nations (represented by the Minotaur) being led to its slaughter by a beautiful angel (perhaps representing the Economic Rationalists and the New Globalists). At the time, industrial jobs were being exported wholesale from the 'Rust Belts' of the advanced economies to the low-wage economies of Asia and Latin America. The new service industries, particularly those involved with computerisation, were rapidly growing in the First World nations. The images in this painting refer to the ancient myths concerning the annual sacrifice of the Old Corn King, to be replaced by a fresh candidate who will enjoy all the privileges of such rank for just one year before meeting his fate at the hands of his executioners. The Samurai Maiden on the left is a homage to the Robot in Fritz Lang's film, Metropolis. |
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